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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · fan · rock · net · game · season · clip · mouse

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. net — in sport
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. net — for catching
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. clip — for paper
  10. net — after costs
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. game — wild animals
  13. can — a tin
  14. rock — music
  15. clip — to cut
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rock — a stone
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com